


Better Alternative

by JustSomeGirl92



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Dorks in Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, Keith and Lance are cuties together, M/M, Some Swearing, some smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 18:48:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12688086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustSomeGirl92/pseuds/JustSomeGirl92
Summary: When the red lion gets pulled into a black hole, both her and her pilot are unharmed but find things have changed. While Red is distressed by the changes, Keith finds his greatest wish has come true.





	Better Alternative

**Author's Note:**

> Since this is a fic and I can do whatever I want, Lance and Keith are twenty even thought this takes place sometime during season two.

The pull of the black hole was a lot stronger than Keith anticipated. His lion’s sudden sluggish responses only made it harder to pilot her away.

“Keith!” Hunk’s voice came over the coms. “Get out of there!”

“Hurry!” Pidge’s high pitched voice joined Hunk’s in Keith’s ear.

“The pull is too strong! Red isn’t responding properly! She’s going nuts,” Keith growled, fighting with his controls, Red growling in his head. Lance’s voice joined the others and Keith heard Shiro shout at Lance. Keith didn’t have to hear what the black paladin said or even see Lance to know what he was doing. 

“Stay back!” Keith snapped through the coms. “You’ll get pulled in too!”

“But Keith-”

“I said stay bac-”

Lance shouted Keith's name again but he couldn't hear it as Red completely shut down, free floating and unable to resist being sucked into the black hole. He didn’t know if it had been a minute or an hour before Keith found himself being spat out into the void of space. The black hole drew in on itself and disappeared. 

The other lions were still there, just as he’d left them. Red was still dead in the water and Keith couldn’t hear anything the others might have been saying. 

“Red? Come on, girl. What’s wrong? What happened to you?” Keith murmured to his lion. She didn’t respond for a beat but suddenly the cock pit was lighting up again and Keith breathed a sigh of relief. 

As soon as the com link was reestablished, Keith’s ear was assaulted by complete chaos. Hunk was crying, Pidge was blabbering about the readings she’d taken of the black hole, Lance was yelling at Keith and asking if he was okay. Shiro was alternating between shouting at everyone to calm down and calling for Keith to answer them. 

“Red went off line!” Keith had to shout over them all to be heard. They stopped talking at the sound of his voice.

“KEITH!” Lance’s voice was high and shrill in his ear and Keith winced. 

“I dunno what just happened. Red shut down and we got pulled in and then shot out the other end somehow I guess. She’s back now, just dazed but I think she’s okay…”

“How are you?” Lance demanded. “Keith, are you okay?”

“Yea, I’m fine. Obviously,” Keith replied with a frown. What was with Lance all of a sudden. 

“That’s not how black holes work though…” 

Keith didn’t even need to see Pidge’s face to picture the frown she had now. Before she could launch into a long explanation of how exactly black holes did work, Shiro ordered them all back to the castle to figure this out there. 

“We destroyed the Galra fleet for now but who knows what else could be out here,” the black paladin frowned. 

Allura and Coran were waiting in the hanger as soon as the lions docked. The princess and her advisor made a beeline for Keith as soon as he exited the lion. 

“What happened out there, number four?” Couran asked, eyebrows raised as he scanned Keith with the datapad in his hand and frowned at the readings. 

“Dunno,” Keith removed his helmet with a shrug. Allura got up close, looking at him for signs of injury. “After we disbanded voltron, a black hole sort of opened up right beside Blue and I tried to nudge her out of the way but then Red started acting all weird and I couldn't pull away. She just shut down and I got sucked in…”

“KEITH!” Lance was practically sprinting from his lion to Keith, helmet in hand. Allura glanced over her shoulder and she and Coran both smoothly moved out of Lance’s path. Keith frowned, prepared to assure Lance that he was not trying to steal the princess, she was just checking for injury. Before he could open his mouth, Lance’s arms were around him, the force almost knocking the red paladin over. Lance’s helmet fell from his fingers but he didn’t seem to notice. 

“Keith, are you okay? Why did you do that?” Lance pulled back enough to lay a hand on the side of Keith’s face, inspecting him closely. 

“Huh? I’m uh….I’m fine, Lance,” Keith replied awkwardly. He looked towards the two Alteans for assistance but they were both frowning over the data pad in Coran’s hand. 

The other three paladins joined them, all looking equally concerned about Keith. Pidge silently joined the others crowding around the pad. Hunk headed straight for Keith and probably would have grabbed him up in a big bear hug if Lance weren’t still draped over the red paladin. Instead, Hunk gave him a sound clap on the back, almost buckling Keith’s knees. 

“Thank goodness!” the yellow paladin exclaimed. “We were so worried about you, man.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Shiro frowned. He bent to retrieve Lance’s dropped helmet before eyeing Keith. Lance finally stepped back, accepting the helmet and letting Shiro get a good look at the red paladin, galran hand resting on his shoulder as he peered down at Keith. 

“You look a little…..off…” Shiro finished lamely. He didn’t quite know how to explain the somewhat confused expression on Keith’s face. 

“Yea, babe. You look a little pale. Even for you,” Lance agreed, giving Keith one of his trademark obnoxious grins. Keith barely noticed it.

“Babe?”

“Uh, yea. I always call you babe?” Lance frowned, stepping closer to Keith and placing a hand on the other boy’s forehead. 

That didn’t sound right to Keith. Lance had never once called him that in all the time they’d known each other. He looked around at the others to see their opinions on this. They all seemed to find Lance’s new nickname for him as commonplace as the blue paladin did. Okay, Keith could roll with that then.

“I’m fine, really. It’s okay guys. Just thrown off I guess. Do we know what a happened with Red and that black hole?”

Hunk and Shiro nodded, seeming to accept that he wasn’t hurt. Lance still looked somewhat concerned but said nothing as he slid an arm around Keith’s waist and kept the red paladin close to his side. 

Allura met Keith’s eyes as she came up to them, Coran and Pidge still muttering about something. The green paladin waved Hunk over to take a look at something. 

“From what I understand, it looks as though something about the energy coming from the black hole interfere with Red’s quintessence somehow,” the princess frowned. “The lions all seem to be functioning properly but we’ll run some diagnostic scans on the red lion and her paladin. I want you both to take it easy at least until we rule out anything harmful.” The way Allura looked at Keith told him there was no use arguing with her. She wasn’t going to hear it. He did it anyway.

“I feel fine, Princess. Red is-”

“Don’t worry, Allura,” Lance cut Keith off and gave him a squeeze. “I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t over exert himself.”

Allura gave Keith a look before nodding to Lance. “Thank you, Lance. I know I can count on you. Please Keith, let Coran have a better look at you .”

Keith just nodded, letting Lance lead him along after the orange haired Altean. He didn’t realise Lance was so strong. The blue paladin  still had that easy, comfortable smile even as he practically dragging Keith. 

XXXX

“Well, number four it looks like everything is tip top,” Coran shrugged. He looked at Keith and beamed. “That’s a relief at least. But please let me or number three here know if you start feeling in the least unwell. Promise?” The Altean raised an eyebrow. 

Keith glanced at the blue paladin leaning his elbows on the exam table where Keith was sitting. “Lance?” Keith hooked a thumb in his direction. The boy in question nodded before turning to Coran. 

“Don’t worry. I assured the princess I’ll keep an eye on him. I’ll let you know if I notice anything off. You know how he can be,” Lance rolled his eyes and Coran looked appeased.    
“Excellent! Well then, I recommend a bowl of delicious, nutritious food goo and some rest.”

Lance nodded, watching Keith slide off the table. “Come on, babe,” Lance took Keith’s hand and led him towards the kitchen. 

XXXX

Keith had just finished showering and returned to the room in his pajamas, toweling off his hair, when there was a gentle knock at the door. He didn’t have a chance to tell the person on the other side to come in before Lance was entering his bedroom. He was wearing his pajamas but no face mask. 

“It’s me,” Lance said as he locked the door behind him and crawled into Keith’s bed. 

Keith stood there, staring at him in surprise. Lane settled and turned on his side, looking up at Keith with a concerned frown. 

“Babe, you sure you’re okay?”

“Uh...Yea….Yea, fine.”

“Okay…” Lance didn’t look very convinced but he held the blanket up in invitation. “Well come on, let’s get some sleep.”

“Uh...Just a minute…” Keith started heading towards the door. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Lance asked, sitting straight up again. “Keith, you’re acting weird….”

“Uh...I’m sorry, Lance. I just have to….just ask Shiro something really quickly,” Keith stood in the doorway, backing out slowly and holding his hands up like he would to a dog he wanted to sit and stay. “Just stay right there, okay? I’ll be back in two minutes. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Okay, Keith. Hurry up,” Lance huffed, crossing his arms. 

Keith nodded and sprinted from his room to Shiro’s. The red paladin pounded on the door and Shiro came running out of the room, eyes darting around for a threat. 

“Keith?” the black paladin dropped his glowing hand down to his side and frowned at the younger paladin in front of him. Keith looked nervous about something. “What’s wrong?”

“Um...I just wanted to ask you something...Um Shiro…?”

“Yes?” Shiro asked patiently, leaning against his doorway with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. “Is this about Lance again?”

“Yea, um….me and Lance are dating, right?”

“Yes, Keith. You and Lance are dating,” Shiro said in a way that suggested he had assured Keith of this several times already. The only tell that something might be off was the slight wrinkle of worry between his brows. “Keith, I thought you were both past this. You’ve been dating a while now. It seemed like the two of you got over this awkwardness. I’ve told you both a hundred times, neither of you got bit by a bug, got replaced by a clone, turned into a robot, hit your head really hard or got temporary amnesia, okay?” Shiro looked up from listing these possible causes on his fingers and raised a brow at Keith.

“Uh...Yea….yea, okay. Thanks Shiro!” Keith perked up, grinning up at Shiro. “Good night!”

“Good night!” Shiro yelled down the hallway at Keith’s retreating back as the red paladin sprinted back to his room. 

“Keith?” Lance looked up from the data pad in his hand when Keith came into the room. Lance set the pad down and moved over, holding the blanket up in invitation again. 

“Yea. Sorry,” Keith said, turning off the light and sliding in beside Lance. 

“It’s okay,” Lance murmured, snuggling into Keith’s side once the other boy had gotten comfortable. “You’re sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Yea. I’m great,” Keith said softly, starting to rub his back gently. 

“Mm,” Lance replied. Leaning up, he pressed his lips to Keith's, feeling to red paladin respond instantly by deepening the kiss and tightening his arms around Lance. 

“Okay,” Lance said softly after they’d drawn apart. He placed another swift peck to Keith’s lips before resting his head on the dark haired boy’s shoulder. 

Keith knew Lance was asleep when his breath evened out but the red paladin continued to stare up at the ceiling, stroking his boyfriend’s back. His boyfriend… How had that even happened? Keith honestly couldn't remember. Fuck, maybe that black hole really did more of a number on him then he thought. Everyone else seemed to remember him and Lance dating, for a long time according to Shiro. He decided that if the memories didn’t return on their own in a week he would tell Coran. For now Keith just enjoyed the warm weight in his arms and the soft sound of Lance’s gentle breathing. 

XXXX

We've run extensive diagnostics all over Red,” Pidge told Keith as she adjusted her glasses. Hunk looked over her shoulder at something on the green paladin’s computer screen. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with her. Everything checked out. The only thing we still don’t understand is how that black hole just spit you back out unharmed and didn’t you know...crush you or pull you apart or spit you out in a star system at the other end of the universe or something.”

“Hey, it’s space, right? Space is weird. Let’s not question space when it does something nice for once,” Hunk pointed out, turning a little green at Pidge’s list of possible alternative outcomes to the day before.

“I’m with Hunk on this one,” Lance agreed, glancing at Keith. They were suited up, waiting for the green light from Pidge and Coran to take the lions out on a test flight and see if anything was off with Red.  

“All is well, Paladins,” Allura assured them with a nod. “Get to your lions. I’m going to have you run a few drills and we’ll see how it goes from there.”

The paladins nodded, grabbing their helmets and heading to their respective lions. 

“Hold on there, Mullet,” Lance grabbed Keith’s arm and held him back. He pressed his lips to Keith’s, making the red paladin grin when he pulled back. 

“That’s it?” Keith challenged, raising an eyebrow. Lance laughed and ducked in for another quick kiss. When he tried to pull away, Keith gripped his shoulder and brought him back, kissing him again.

“Save some for later, Cowboy,” Lance winked as they shoved their helmets on and headed to their respective lions before Shiro yelled at them for the hold up. 

The drills were successful, the lions performing flawlessly and the team running in perfect sync. 

“How much longer?” Lance groaned through the comms. 

“I’m hungry,” Pidge muttered.    
“Me too!” Hunk agreed.

“Paladins, stop complaining!” Allura chided through the coms. Just one more maneuver and then I want you to dock in your hangers.”

“Yes, princess,” Shiro responded. 

“YeS, PrInCeSS,” Lance murmured, making Keith laugh. 

“Lance,” Shiro warned. “Keith.”

XXXX

Keith realized that he may be a little in over his head at this point. He bit his bottom lip hard as Lance kissed his way down the red paladin's neck towards his collarbone and continued over his chest. 

“Mm...Lance…” Keith murmured, feeling rather than hearing Lance’s chuckle against his skin. Lance’s tongue trailed down to Keith’s nipple, biting gently and making the red paladin arch his back. “You fucking tease…”

Lance grinned and gently lciked the bite. “You know me. I love to hear that pretty little whine you do, baby.”

Keith groaned softly, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and rolling him in one fluid motion onto his back, Keith hovering over him. Lance was so pliant under his hands as he ran his fingers up the blue paladin's sides, Lance's arms wrapped around his shoulders. Lance kissed him deeply, taking Keith's breath from his chest. 

Keith took a chance and reached for his bedside drawer. It was the best place to put lube if he had any. Not having bothered to check, Keith wasn’t sure. He didn’t remember putting any there but then again he didn’t remember being able to do this with Lance before so maybe his luck would hold. It wasn’t easy to slip his hand in the drawer, Keith propping himself up with his other hand in order to reach but Lance refused to let him go and was holding his shoulders tight, leaning up so he could continue his assault on Keith’s neck. That alone had him fighting to remember how his fingers worked. 

Sure enough, there was not one but several different tubes, jars and pumps of varying sizes and colours. Those weren’t even the only things in the drawer but Keith wisely chose to focus on what his brain could handle at the moment. 

“Requests?” Keith asked, voice hoarse. 

“Mm….Not that warming stuff…,” Lance laughed in Keith’s ear, nibbling at the soft skin just under it and almost making Keith’s mind blank out. “That green one was nice.”

Keith glanced around until he located the green tube in question and grabbed it before lowering both him and Lance back down to the mattress. Lance never once stopped or slowed his kisses and touches all over Keith’s jaw, neck and chest. He was like an octopus, clinging to him with his long arms and legs. It was like a wet dream and Keith couldn’t believe he just got to...do this.

“Okay, ready?’ Keith asked softly, fingers coated liberally. 

“Yea,” Lance breathed, spreading his legs and bending his knees. Keith held his breath as he slipped a finger into him slowly. He kept his eyes on Lance’s face, watching with concern.

“Mm…” the blue paladin murmured, eyelids fluttering. Keith moved his finger slowly, experimentally before crooking it inside him. Lance made a soft, happy sound and Keith smiled. Leaning down, the red paladin kissed his boyfriend lovingly.

“Add another one,” Lance murmured against his lips when he pulled away. 

Keith bit his lip but obeyed, pulling back a little to watch Lance’s face again. He was surprised to see Lance arch pleasantly, fingers tangling in Keith’s hair with a moan. He pulled the red paladin down to kiss him again, deeper and rougher than the last kiss. Keith slipped his tongue into Lance’s mouth, fingers pushing in as far as he could get them. 

“I love you baby,” Lance breathed into his ear. 

Keith swallowed hard, hoping to hide his embarrassment and the way he stiffened up by adding another finger. It seemed to work as Lance cried out and gripped his shoulders. Keith gently nipped at his neck, guessing at the spots he thought Lance would like. 

“I love you too,” Keith murmured as his boyfriend gasped and writhed under him. He pulled away enough to smile down at the blue paladin. Lance grinned up at him, face red and eyes clouded with want. 

Keith pulled his fingers out and kissed Lance again, reaching over for the lube again and applying a large glob liberally over his cock. “You ready?” he whispered softly, kissing Lance’s ear. 

“Baby, you know me. I’m always ready,” Lance replied, tugging Keith in for a rough kiss. Keith smiled against his boyfriend's lips as he lined himself up, carefully sliding into Lance at an overly slow pace. Once he was able to let go of his cock, Keith used that arm to brace himself as he leaned up and placed a palm against Lance’s cheek. 

“You okay?” For some reason, Lance found that pretty funny and laughed. Keith frowned as he gently brushed hair from his boyfriend’s flushed face. 

“I’m fine,” Lance said softly, reaching up to touch Keith’s face. The red paladin leaned into the touch. “You know how much I like it rough, babe. You’re being so gentle.”

“Oh. Sorry,” Keith blushed and looked away. Lance turned Keith’s face to look at him again. 

“It’s okay. This is really nice. Just um...start moving okay? Like right now because I’m going to explode here.”

“Right, right,” Keith said quickly. He couldn't help being slow and cautious as he pulled back and thrusted into Lance continuously. The other boy moaned, arching towards him and pressing their chests together. Keith gasped, biting gently on Lance’s shoulder, making him cry out. 

Keith changed the angle several times, clearly looking for the right spot. Lance sucked in a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut before relaxing again. “Right there,” he breathed. 

Keith kissed his lips in acknowledgment and shifted his hips to make sure he continued to hit that spot every time. Holding Lance’s hips in both hands, he easily tugged him into the right position, the blue paladin wrapping his legs around Keith's waist to keep him close. 

“Mmm.. it's so hot when you manhandle me, Samurai,” Lance teased, nipping at his neck. Keith chuckled and kissed him deep, sliding his tongue into Lance’s mouth. Keith used one hand to hold himself up, hovering over Lance while he forced the other hand between their bodies to wrap around Lance’s cock and stroke in time to the thrusting of his hips.

“Oh shit, Keith…” Lance breathed in his ear, his breath getting shallower as he threw his head back on the pillow. “Oh yea….right there….oh my god that’s so good…”

Keith barely knew what he was murmuring into Lance’s ear as he felt his own release approach. “You’re so good for me, Lance. That’s it...Oh yea….Oh yea you’re so good, baby. That’s right, that’s right. Oh shit, I love you so much, baby,” Keith moaned. “Just like that, just like that. Oh! So good, so good, baby. So good for me…”

Lance whimpered, writhing under the praise and Keith's ministrations. “Keith! I’m gonna...I’m gonna…”

“Good! Cum, baby,” Keith murmured gently, kissing him hard. 

Lance groaned into the kiss as he came all over Keith’s hand. Keith made an identical noise of pleasure, looking down at Lance as he pulled back slightly to look at him. “Good job, baby,” he murmured, nuzzling Lance’s nose as he continued to thrust into him. Keith’s release came as soon as Lance whimpered at the praise. He bit his lip, fighting the loud groan before collapsing on to his boyfriend. 

Neither of them spoke for awhile, just content to be in each other’s arms. Keith placed soft kisses over Lance’s neck and shoulder while Lance gently rubbed his back. 

XXXX

“What happened?” Allura demanded as soon as the lions docked. “Why didn’t you form voltron?”

“We don’t know, Princess,” Shiro replied, meeting her first with the rest of the paladins behind him. “We tried. We did everything just like always. It just...didn't happen.”

Allura looked at them all firmly as though she were searching for some sign of guilt. Lance had his hand clamped tight on Keith’s arm and gave him a look that told him to keep his mouth shut. This time Keith listened to him. Finally Allura sighed, realising there was no easy answer and something was definitely wrong. 

“Is it the red lion?” Keith asked with a frown. 

“I don’t know,” Allura shook her head. “It shouldn’t be...We checked everything…”

“Perhaps we should run diagnostics on all the lions and cross reference the information,” Coran suggested, thoughtfully stroking his moustache. “Maybe there’s nothing wrong with her but something changed in her that is making her incompatible with the other lions.”

“Yes, that sounds like the most likely thing to do. Thank you, Coran,” Allura still didn’t sound totally reassured. 

“I’ll help,” Pidge offered eagerly. 

“Me too,” Hunk nodded.    
“We’ll all help,” Shiro agreed. Lance and Keith nodded. 

They were all on edge, wondering what had happened out there. Luckily they had been able to manage the few Galra ships without Voltron, not that they’d had much choice. None of them knew what had gone wrong but at least with some objective in mind, something that might help, they could focus on that and try to set it right again. 

XXXX

“I can’t believe you like this picture! I look like a goof!” Lance groaned, reaching for the data pad in Keith’s hand. The red paladin laughed, holding it out of reach. 

“You are a goof,” he pointed out. Lance leaned too far and fell across Keith lap with a soft ‘oof’. Keith lightly smacked his ass. 

“Ooh, kinky,” Lance wiggled his eyebrows up at Keith, making him blush. Lance laughed as he sat back on his heels. Keith would have kissed him if they hadn’t both been wearing face masks. When Lance suggested they do one, Keith had been hesitant but judging from the way Lance had said it they did this fairly often. So, he’d agreed and now here he was, snuggled up in his pj’s with his boyfriend and wearing identical face masks, looking at photos of the two of them Keith couldn't remember taking. 

“You look good in every photo,” Keith said, glancing at Lance with a soft smile. Lance returned the look, shuffling into Keith’s side with his boyfriend’s arm around his shoulders. Keith looked down at him with such a gentle and loving expression. Lance frowned. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lance asked, turning off the data pad and reaching over Keith to place it on the nightstand.

“Yea,” Keith replied, holding his arms out for Lance. The blue paladin gladly wrapped his own arms around his boyfriend in return. “Why?”

“You’re just...acting different. Not like different different but more like...what you were like when we first started dating,” Lance said, clearly trying to explain something that he couldn't find the words for. “You know, you wouldn't be rough with me at all and you treated me like you were gonna break me or something. You keep looking at me the way you used to, like you’re afraid I’m about to run off at any second or something. You’re sure nothing’s up?”

Keith shook his head, frowning down at his boyfriend. “No, I...I just…”

How could he tell his boyfriend that he didn’t remember anything about them getting together? He had no memories of being with him at all. In fact, last night was the only time he remembered even having sex with Lance. Clearly he couldn't say that. He couldn't risk losing this or worse, hurting Lance. 

“I love you, Lance. You know that, right?” Lance nodded slowly, like he was bracing for bad news. “I think maybe I’m just afraid of losing you….”

That wasn’t totally a lie. He was afraid of that. It just wasn’t the whole story but Lance seemed to buy it. His expression softened and he smiled. “I get it, man,” Lance nodded. “That scares me too. Everyday. Because everyday that’s a possibility, you know? It’s just...part of what we do.”

“Yea. Yea I do know,” Keith murmured. He knew that all too well. How many times had he seen Lance hurt or in danger and felt the ache in his heart, how many times had he begged the universe to let him keep this boy?

“But we can’t just live in fear all the time. We gotta enjoy the ride too or else what’s the point?” Lance grinned and Keith felt his heart swell. Lance was right, of course. “You know, when we first started dating, I kept wondering if it was even real or if I was going to wake up to an empty bed and find it was just a dream. Then I started worrying that maybe you weren’t the real Keith and you were a clone or a robot or you were like bitten by a bug or something that tricked you into liking me.” Lance smiled and shook his head at himself. “It didn’t seem real. I kept asking Shiro if it was really happening and you finally admitted that you were asking him the same thing. That was when Shiro told me that we just both had to accept the fact that we were happy, that we were in love. If we spent all of our time together worrying then we wouldn’t really be enjoying it. So I started living by that, just enjoying my time with you.”

Keith stared at Lance for a moment, the blue paladin looking sheepish under his intense gaze. “I love you so fucking much, you annoying, beautiful, amazing jerk.”

Lance laughed and kissed him even though it smeared both their masks a little. “Come on. Let’s wash these off, Mullet.”

XXXX

“Found anything?” Keith frowned as he glanced over Pidge’s shoulder. He understood most of what he was seeing but it was a little more complicated than running basic diagnostics on a regular garrison ship. 

“Maybe,” Pidge replied. “There’s some inconsistencies across the board but no two lions are exactly alike and as far as we can tell everything is as it should be.”

“What’s that?” Lance asked, pointing at something on the screen Keith hadn’t noticed. 

“That’s where it gets a little strange, number three,” Coran piped up, looking over from where he was running a scan with Hunk. “The quintessence in the red lion isn’t quite matching that from the other lions. The basic building blocks are all the same but the quantities are off by a few decimal points. That shouldn’t make a difference but somehow we believe that must be the answer.”

“But how did that happen?” Keith frowned. “She’s operating just fine but she’s not compatible with the others?”

“Essentially, yes,” Pidge nodded. “Since we actually know relatively little about the quintessence in the lions and how it works, we can’t be sure what caused it or how to put it back the way it was. Something within the black hole must have disrupted it.”

“If this was the black lion I would think Zarkon and his witch may have something to do with it,” Shiro said gravely. “But it seems impossible that even they know how to mess with the basic building blocks of the lions.”

“Does this mean we can’t form voltron again?”  Keith demanded. Lance placed a calming hand on his shoulder. 

“We’ll figure it out,” Lance said firmly, looking to the other paladins. “We always do.” They all nodded back at him in agreement. 

XXXX

“Babe, that’s so gay,” Lance murmured in Keith’s ear. Keith paused and looked his boyfriend in the eye. 

“My fingers are up your ass,” He deadpanned. “Literally.”

Lance burst out laughing and Keith sighed, rolling his eyes. “Universe, please give me the strength to deal with my beautiful and obnoxious boyfriend…” he said, looking up at the ceiling with his hands in mock prayer. 

“The universe can’t help you now!” Lance leaned forward and captured Keith’s lips. It was  a victory easily won as Keith had no desire to fight back. Instead he leaned into the kiss, hands sliding up his boyfriend’s naked sides and enjoying the way he writhed against him. 

“Turn around,” Keith breathed into his ear once he and Lance parted lips. Lance looked surprised but his expression became pleased as he obeyed, turning on to his hand and knees. Keith took a moment just to look, to admire. 

“Take a picture, perv,” Lance glanced over his shoulder with a mischievous grin. 

“Shut up,” Keith blushed and moved up on his knees. 

“No, seriously. Take a picture.”

“What if someone sees it?!”

“That’s the point.”

“Someone other than me.”

“Prude,” Lance snorted as he turned to face forward again. 

Keith raised an eyebrow. “So now I’m a perv and a prude?” 

“Yep. I don’t make the rules.”

Keith couldn't help but smile at this ridiculous boy. “I love you.”

“I know.”

Keith lifted himself on his knees and lined himself up. He was pretty sure he’d stretched Lance enough but still asked if it was okay as he slowly pushed inside. 

“Yea, that’s good,” Lance murmured, breathing through it until Keith was all the way inside. 

Keith groaned softly and leaned forward, kissing the back of Lance’s neck. The blue paladin flinched and giggled. 

“Keith! You know that tickles!”

“Sorry, babe,” Keith laughed. “Couldn’t help it.” He gave a gentle, experimental thrust and Lance adjusted his stance. Keith thrusted again, slow at first but quickly built speed, hands gripping Lance’s hips. 

‘Yes, yes...Keith…” Lance whimpered as Keith shifted slightly, looking for the right spot. Lance made a quiet yelping noise and adjusted his hands as a hard thrust brushed him just right. Keith leaned forward and kissed his shoulder. 

“You okay?” Keith whispered, nipping his ear. 

“Yes! Fuck yea! Don’t stop now!”

Keith smiled and placed kisses down Lance’s spine, his thrusts rougher now and trying to keep hitting that particularly good spot inside Lance. His boyfriend's arms shook with the effort of holding himself up. Keith carefully helped him lower himself onto his forearms. The angle helped Keith get even deeper, Lance pushing his hisp back to meet Keith's thrusts. 

Lance moaned, burying his face in the pillow to hide the loud noises coming from his mouth. Keith didn’t bother trying to stop his own noises. 

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” he chanted with every thrust. “Oh fuck, I’m close!” Keith reached around, gripping Lance’s cock. In only a few strokes he felt his boyfriend cum over his hand, the warmth filling him with a swell of happiness. A few more thrusts found Keith cumming as well, resting his head on Lance’s shoulder with a groan. 

The two paladins collapsed in a heap, tangled together. Lance laughed and Keith groaned, managing to shift themselves and hold on to each other tightly. 

“See? That’s why I like it rough,” Lance murmured in Keith’s hair, the red paladin buried his face in Lance’s chest. Keith wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist while his boyfriend gently rubbed his back. 

“Mmm,” Keith agreed absently. “Maybe we can use those handcuffs in there next time.”

“Ooh, a little cops and robbers, Officer Mullet?” Lance wiggled his eyebrows and kissed Keith’s head, both of them grinning like crazy. 

XXXX

The next day, Keith and Lance ran to the bridge at the sound of Allura’s shocked voice calling them. 

“Is that Red?” Lance’s eyes were huge as he saw the red lion headed towards them. 

“A black hole just opened and it came flying out,” the princess explained, turning to them with a shocked look. “Keith….you hailed us and Lance…” She looked between the two of them, clearly standing right in front of her. She was looking for an explanation but neither were able to give one. 

“Let’s get down to the hanger and find out what’s going on,” Shiro suggested, seeing the wide eyed looks of the princess and the other paladins. 

“You’re right,” Allura agreed, gathering herself. The others followed her and Shiro to the hangar where the mysterious second red lion was docking. The paladins and the Alteans stood, watching as the red paladin and blue paladin disembarked. 

“Lance!” the red paladin removed his helmet and threw it to the ground as he ran at Lance. Keith stepped in front, holding his arm out to keep Lance behind him. The two Keiths faced each other with identical scowls. The one in civilian clothes reached for the blade at his back, the one clad in paladin armor reaching for his bayard. 

“What the fuck?!” the Lance looked back and forth between them. “What’s going on?” 

“It’s me, babe!” Paladin Keith said quickly, his expression hurt as he placed a hand on his own chest. 

“Stay away from him,” Civilian Keith growled. “It’s a trick!”

“It’s not a trick, baby! It’s me… Come on, ask me something only I would know,” Paladin Keith pleaded, looking at Lance with wounded eyes and not even glancing at the other Keith.   
“Okay….” Lance glanced between the two Keiths.“Where did we first make love?”

“Easy. Behind the waterfall on Urlex. It was freaking boiling that night and the water was cool. The algae glowed when it got dark and we saw that shark thing.”

Lance looked at Civilian Keith. “Where was our first kiss, Keith?”

“I don’t know…” Civilian Keith whispered, slowly lowering his arm. 

“When did we start dating?”

“I don’t know…”

“What’s….. Keith?” Civilian Lance looked up at the Keith clad in paladin armor. His Keith. “Keith!” 

Paladin Keith shoved his look alike and rushed forward to grab Lance faster than anyone else could react, lifting him and spinning him. Lance buried his face in his boyfriend’s shoulder as Keith murmured to him soothingly. The blue paladin stepped up beside his own Keith, finally removing his helmet. 

“Um...guys...I think I speak for all of use when I say…..what the actual fuck?!” Hunk rarely swore but everyone could agree that in this situation it was more than called for. 

“Okay, here’s what happened,” the Lance in paladin armor started. “Keith went through a black hole and wound up in another reality. Turns out both Keiths from both realities were sucked in simultaneously. Since Slav isn’t here to tell us the chances of that I don’t know what they are but I’m gonna go ahead and say very slim. So anyways, we realized quickly that this Keith,” Lance pointed to the Keith clinging to the other Lance. “Was not ours when he tried to kiss me and thought I was his boyfriend.”

“You kissed  me back,” Paladin Keith pointed out.

“Ssh! Shut up, dude!” Paladin Lance waved his arms and blushed, not meeting his Keith’s eye. “Anyway, once other black holes starting opening up we realised there was some sort of disturbance or something. Pidge explained it but I forgot. Basically we have to get the two Keith’s to their original realities or else it's going to cause some kind of tear in the fabric of both our realities.”

Everyone turned to Civilian Keith in unison. 

“So...you’re from a different reality?” Hunk blinked. 

“I...guess so…” Keith murmured, not able to look at the couple still embracing in front of him. 

“Oh my God! Baby I’m so fucking sorry! I had no idea, honest!” Civilian Lance wailed suddenly. “I thought he was you, I swear! I honestly had no idea! Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay, babe. It’s fine. Ssh,” Paladin Keith placed a finger under Lance’s chin and made his boyfriend look at him. “I know, it’s not your fault. It’s okay.” He smiled softly and kissed Lance’s forehead. The other Keith turned away. He felt like he was going to be sick. “If anyone should be sorry, it’s him!”

Civilian Keith scowled at his counterpart. “Screw you,” he spat.

“Screw me?! You already screwed my boyfriend you fucking asshole! Enjoying yourself in my reality were you?”

“Keith, stop it!” Civilian Lance tugged on his boyfriend’s arm. “Please!”

“I can’t believe you fucked a guy that looks just like me, Keith!” the other Lance frowned, hand on his hip. “I mean I know he’s incredibly handsome but still…”

“Shut the fuck up, Lance! We’re getting the fuck out of here as soon as I get my armor! I’m never-”

Keith didn’t get to finish that sentence as the whole castle shifted and loud suction noises sounding from outside the walls. 

“Ah, hold on. It’s the space kraken again,” Coran sighed, heading out of the room. “I’ll just scare him off with a few well aimed proton blasts and you two can be on your way.”

XXXX

Everyone was waiting in the hangar when Keith and Lance returned to the Castle in their proper reality.

“Welcome back, Keith,” Shiro smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“We missed you man! That was so weird!” Hunk laughed. 

“Was the other reality different? The other Keith said it's the same except I guess he was dating Lance,” Pidge said excitedly. 

“Oh, yea! That was weird. The other you kept moping around and staring at Lance all sad,” Hunk shook his head. “I’m glad he’s back with his boyfriend now! Good for him!”

“Strange that was the only difference in realities,” Allura mused. 

“Oh, there's also a space kraken that follows them around in that reality,” Lance added with a shrug. 

“Fascinating…” Pidge and Allura said in unison.

Shiro hadn’t spoken much after his initial greeting to Keith. He could see there was something wrong with the red paladin. He didn’t seem to be happy about returning to his own reality at all. If anything, he looked miserable. 

“So what was the other Lance like?” Lance asked. “How was he different?”

“He wasn’t,” Keith grumbled unhappily. “He was exactly like you in every way.”

“Yea except that you had sex with him so-”   
“Keith!” Coran gasped. “You didn’t.” Keith winced

“Oh, he so did,” Lance scowled. “He fucked a guy that looks and acts just like me apparently. What the fuck man? What is that all about?”

“You have no right to be mad, Lance! No fucking right!” Keith tossed his helmet on the ground and Lance instantly shrank back. “The other Lance does, the other Keith does but you don’t! It has nothing to do with you so just fuck off Lance!”

Shiro groaned. How many times had he patiently listened to one or the other rant about the other being too cute or too sexy and never noticing the other? Why couldn't they just see how much they liked each other?

“I know…” Lance said quietly, not meeting Keith’s eye.

“Did you know you were in the wrong reality?” Allura asked Keith with a frown. “Suddenly being romantically involved with someone doesn’t just happen…”

“I...I had a feeling. Other things weren’t lining up either. Dates were a little off; names were different. That sort of thing,” Keith shrugged. 

“If you realised, why didn’t you say anything?” Hunk asked softly. “What if you never got back to your own reality and when you finally went back to Earth none of your family were there or something?”

“I don’t have any family,” Keith sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked frazzled and upset. “I have no one at home waiting for me. You guys do but I don’t. I’m alone, okay? At least in that reality I had a boyfriend. At least in that reality someone loved me.”

Keith shouldered past them without another word, leaving his helmet lying on the ground. 

XXXX

“Keith, can I come in?” Lance’s voice floated into the room and Keith sighed. Probably here to get mad at him again. 

“I don’t want to hear about how pissed off you are,” Keith grunted back. “Stop bitching at me.”

“I...I won’t man,” Lance sighed. “Just...please let me in.”

“Fine,” Keith relented,sitting up from where he’d been lying on his back looking up at the ceiling. 

The door opened and Lance stepped in, a tentative smile on his face and Keith’s helmet between his hands. “Hey man.”

“What?”

“Look, I want to apologise,” Lance fiddled with the helmet, spinning it. “I know I was out of line. You’re right, I don’t have a basis to be mad but the thing is...I am mad and I can’t help it.”

“Why though?” Keith demanded, standing up from his bed and clenching his fists. “Why are you so mad? Can’t you even let me have one good thing in my life without making me feel like shit for it? I already feel bad okay? It was a shitty thing to lie to him and I know exactly how the other must feel. I don’t want you adding guilt on me too.”

“I’m mad because you seemed to have no problem just falling into the role of loving boyfriend to a guy who looks, acts and sounds just like me,” Lance replied calmly. “Yet you want nothing to do with me.”

Keith had been gearing up for a fight but this was not  what he’d expected. “What?”

Lance sighed and set the helmet down on Keith’s bedside table. Keith glanced at it and couldn’t help remembering what had been in that drawer in the alternate reality. Right now it had two small knives and a shiny red rock Lance had given him as a joke from a volcano planet. 

“Look, I just want to know what it was about that other Lance that made it so easy for you to fall in love with him,” he said softly, giving Keith a tiny, heart wrenching smile. “I want to know how to make you fall in love with me too. Just….just tell me what I need to do. Was he a better shot? Was he less obnoxious? Did...did he do things that I don’t?”

“Lance…” Keith whispered, eyes wide as he stared at the beautiful boy in front of him. This boy, loud and kind and annoying and nice. Big hearted, blue eyed, dark skinned Lance that haunted Keith’s dreams and caused him major panic attacks whenever he was in danger. “Lance are you fucking serious right now?”

Lance laughed, self deprecating and hollow. “I know, man. I just…” Lance sighed and rubbed his face. “I’m sorry. It’s stupid. I know you can’t just feel a certain way about someone because they want you to. That’s...it’s not fair of me to…”

Keith’s mouth on his prevented Lance from saying anything more. 

“Lance, no one is  a better shot than you, Sharpshooter” Keith smiled softly as he pulled away, sliding a hand into Lance’s hair. “He was obnoxious as hell but I loved that about him. About you. The only thing he did that you don’t was kiss me.”

Lance was staring at him with wide eyes, reaching up to touch his lips. His blue eyes darted down to Keith’s mouth and then back up to meet his gentle gaze.

“I can do that,” Lance murmured, lips already pressing to Keith’s. The kiss was longer, gentle but purposeful. Somehow they made their way to the bed, both removing their jackets and tangling their arms and legs. Neither knew how long they’d been making out for but it all felt right. It felt natural. They cuddled close, both eager for physical conatct.

“Isn’t it weird that the space kraken and us being together were the only differences in that reality?” Lance asked, Keith making a noise in agreement. “Well, I guess just the space kraken now. That is so bizarre, right? There was nothing else?”

Keith considered that for a moment. “Well I guess there was one thing that was different about the other Keith,” he replied, looking up to meet Lance’s eye. “I’m really more of a bottom.”

Lance.exe has stopped working.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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